"You may leave." Joe Di's gaze fell upon the martial artists invited by Maximus Shan. He had no intention of killing them.
"Yes, we bid you farewell, Senior." Though they were curious about how Joe Di had left Earth, the fact that he spared their lives was already a tremendous relief.
Zoe Shen gradually regained her composure. She glanced at Joe Di, wanting to stay and ask about his recent experiences, but she felt too ashamed to remain.
As her cultivation grew stronger and her lifespan lengthened, familiar faces—friends and family—had all left her one by one. The only reason she had come to help Maximus Shan was that he still had some connection to her former acquaintances.
Back then, Maximus Shan's father had also been a disciple at the Celestia Federation Martial Academy...
Now, seeing Joe Di here—the man who had once loved her almost to madness—she naturally wanted to stay and pour out everything in her heart.
"Joe Di, I'm leaving too..." Zoe Shen said with difficulty. She wished Joe Di would ask her to stay, that they still had much to say to each other.
But Joe Di merely nodded to her and said, "Take care of yourself."
With a sigh, Zoe Shen turned and walked away, not even bothering to board the aircraft.
"Ancestor Joe, my great-grandfather once reached an extreme realm called the Soul Origin Stage. Later, he wanted to seek you out, so after leaving behind his cultivation techniques and some resources, he departed from the Qi Family..." After the group left, Simon Qi began recounting the story of Echo Young.
Joe Di frowned. He doubted that Echo Young had truly gone searching for him. He had already made it clear to Echo Young that he would be leaving Earth. Still, he did not interrupt Simon Qi’s story.
From Simon Qi’s account, Joe Di learned that after Echo Young left, his Ninth Adventure Squad was succeeded by later generations, eventually forming a conglomerate. The elders of the group were mostly original members of the squad.
Because Echo Young had slain countless formidable fiend beasts and dire beasts, the materials collected by Ninth Holdings were not only precious but also exceedingly rare. Using these resources, they developed many things—various cold weapons, clothing, medicines, and more.
Ninth Holdings grew ever larger, while the Qi Family’s cultivation declined with each generation.
Aside from Echo Young, not a single member of the Qi Family ever reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.
When Simon Qi finished, Joe Di asked, "Why are you working with Maximus Shan?"
Joe Di’s voice was not overbearing, but Simon Qi instinctively spoke his mind: "Over the years, I’ve done some business with the Shan Family and made some money. Now that Maximus Shan has reached the Half Pill Stage and seeks vengeance, I suppose you could call us partners..."
Joe Di waved his hand. "I understand. You may go back now. Since your conglomerate is already profitable, don’t chase after money that goes against your conscience. Money is only useful so long as you need it—once you’re dead, you can’t take it with you."
"Yes, Ancestor." Simon Qi bowed hastily in response.
Joe Di said calmly, "I only taught Echo Young some basic cultivation techniques. From now on, don’t treat me as the ancestor of the Qi Family, and don’t say such things anymore."
Simon Qi instinctively wanted to object, but he suddenly sensed Di Jiu’s intent—a clear dislike for being called ancestor.
"Yes, Senior, I take my leave." Somewhat disappointed, Simon Qi could only bow once more before withdrawing.
"Let’s go. I’ll tell you about my situation." Di Jiu took Nong Xiuqi’s hand and once again returned to the small courtyard.
He hadn’t given Simon Qi anything, nor taught him any cultivation techniques. It wasn’t just because Simon Qi’s aptitude was mediocre; more importantly, Simon Qi’s business dealings with Dan Muxin were clearly dubious. For example, coming to Wangchuan Temple to back Dan Muxin, Simon Qi obviously hadn’t looked into the full story.
There’s a saying—birds of a feather flock together. If you’re in league with the Dan Family for mutual benefit, how good could it really be?
...
Nong Xiuqi’s mouth fell open in disbelief as she looked at Di Jiu.
Di Jiu treated Nong Xiuqi as his wife, so he hid nothing from her. Nong Xiuqi had never imagined Di Jiu’s life could be so extraordinary, nor that he was so much older than her.
"I’m sorry, I’m much older than you." Di Jiu was helpless. In the cultivation and immortal realms, their age difference was negligible, but this was Earth. Because of the events on Fairy Star, Earth had seen a surge in ancient martial arts and cultivators. While lifespans had increased, most people were still under a hundred years old.
"No, I’m just lucky to have met you in this vast world, and to be able to marry you..." Nong Xiuqi murmured, leaning into Di Jiu’s embrace. She could feel that Di Jiu truly regarded her as his other half.
She realized just how fortunate she was. If she hadn’t stayed to take Joe Di away, if she hadn’t hunted unicorns to bring him their blood, if she hadn’t become one with him in that cave, she was certain Joe Di would never have chosen her—never.
Joe Di had never been in love before. Now, feeling Nora Xiu’s affection, he simply held her close, a sense of fulfillment quietly blooming within him.
Sometimes, living a simple life together as husband and wife is its own kind of happiness.
"Big Brother... you said you once remembered Manna Zhen, that woman..." No matter who she was, any woman would struggle to let go of such things. Nora Xiu was no exception—she couldn’t let it go.
Joe Di’s face showed embarrassment. "Back then, my mind was still hazy. I suppose it was just a lingering obsession deep in my heart. You may not understand now, but when you reach a certain level in cultivation, you’ll know what obsession means. If not for you, I might never have reached a higher realm in this life..."
Nora Xiu’s whole body flushed as she pressed her lips to Joe Di’s. "Last time was to sever your obsession—this time, I want you to be entirely mine..."
...
Ever since he began cultivating, this was the first time Joe Di had truly slept through the night. When he woke the next morning, Nora Xiu was already awake but hadn’t gotten up; she still nestled beside him, her bright eyes gazing at him as if his face were a blooming flower.
Joe Di patted Nora Xiu. "My injuries will be fully healed in a few days. I need to set up a protective array here."
"Is it for finding that thing?" Nora Xiu knew Joe Di had come to Earth searching for something.
Joe Di nodded. "Yes. From now on, you must cultivate every day. Otherwise, when you grow old, I’ll still be like this."
Hearing Joe Di mention her growing old while he remained unchanged, Nora Xiu immediately sprang up, paying no attention to her lack of clothing.
"I want to cultivate too. I’ll start right now!" Nora Xiu’s first words upon rising were a determined declaration to begin cultivating.
She certainly didn’t want to become an old woman while Joe Di stayed eternally youthful. Zoe Shen was a perfect example of what could happen.
Joe Di picked up a piece of clothing and draped it over Nora Xiu. "I have two cultivation techniques: one is called the Starspace Technique, and the other is the Rule Cycle I currently practice."
The Rule Cycle was simply Joe Di’s way of circulating cosmic principles throughout his body. In truth, it wasn’t really a formal technique, nor was it much different from the Starspace Technique.
It was only after Joe Di created this cultivation method that he neglected to make systematic revisions or adjustments, so he just roughly referred to it as the Rule Cycle.
"Of course I want to practice the Rule Cycle, just like you!" Nora Xiu blurted out.
"No, you must practice the Starspace Technique. Once you reach the Celestial Immortal Stage, you can learn my Rule Cycle..." Joe Di rejected Nora Xiu’s insistence without hesitation.
Valley Sea.
Before the appearance of Celestia, this was one of the most famous scenic spots in the world. After Celestia appeared and Earth was overrun by fiend beasts and dire beasts, Valley Sea never regained its former glory.
Zoe Shen had settled here, drawn by its tranquility. She could cultivate in peace, and when she had free time, she would walk along the edge of Valley Sea.
But ever since she returned from Lethe Temple, she could no longer focus on cultivation. No matter how she tried to calm herself, Joe Di’s image would always appear before her eyes.
Restless, Zoe Shen stood up. Suddenly, she felt that after so many years, her life had been a failure.
Aside from the times Joe Di had saved her, she barely had any valuable memories.
A flying vessel descended from the distant sky, distracting Zoe Shen from her wandering thoughts.
"Alliance Leader Shen, did something happen to the people who went to South Pill Mountain?" Four people disembarked from the vessel. The leader hadn’t even reached Zoe Shen before urgently asking.
Zoe Shen snapped back to reality. After Celestia appeared, the Earth Federation never disbanded, though its influence had waned. Still, she remained the nominal leader of the Earth Federation.
"What’s happened?" Zoe Shen asked reflexively, only realizing the gravity of the situation after she spoke.
Not long ago, South Pill Mountain erupted with violent thunder. The Earth Federation sent three experts to investigate: Half Pill Stage cultivator Frank Lim, and two innate experts, Dale from Europe and Dennis, also from Europe.
How could such powerful experts run into trouble? Then she thought of Joe Di—if they encountered someone like him, even the strongest could be in danger.